Russia, Moscow: The City of Adventures

Russia. A land filled with oil and gas; a country which has more billionaires than millionaires (as I was told). Moscow was the city for my weekend travel. If you happen to go to Russia, the first thing which will puzzle you was the tight security they have at Moscow airport. Custom officers are very strict about the truth identity and objective of individuals coming into Russia. Basis of my experience, custom officers, which i have encountered, will spend at least 5 – 10 mins to verify one’s identity. On one hand, this experience was crazy and unpleasant; it makes tourist like me feel like a prisoner, being investigated by “KGB”. On the other hand, I feel they have done a relatively good job in checking individuals. Strict security such as this will be welcomed by many Europeans who have bad experiences with foreign immigrants.

During my visit, I visited the Moscow Kremlin and various metro stations. The Moscow Kremlin, in short Kremlin, is a fortified complex located in heart of Moscow. It consists of seven palaces, four cathedrals and within this complex, it also lies the official President’s residence. Surrounded the Kremlin are other tourist attractions such as Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow River and Alexander Garden. If you happen to go to Kremlin on a Saturday, there will be a parade by Kremlin’s guards at the Cathedral Square at noon. Therefore, it will be a much better deal to go Kremlin on Saturday than any other days. You can easily access this tourist attraction from the nearby Metro station – BiBlioteka Imeni Lenina.

The Moscow Metro was built before WWI in 1930s, WWII and during the Soviet Union time. As many have come across beautiful Moscow Metro station on the internet, I decided to have a taste on such a charming ride. The mosaic wall with historical images of once the powerful Soviet Union, Lenin’s monuments and human statues of youth, women and farmers carrying Kalashnikov guns were marvelous constructions, depicting the once powerful Marxism-Leninism ideology – Communism.

Overall, my short trip to Russia was excellent. I hope to revisit this place again. Below are some of my pictures taken during my trip.

Saint Basil’s Cathedral – Side view

Saint Basil’s Cathedral – Front

GUM Shopping Center

Parade show in Kremlin

Crowds at Kremlin on my trip

The Assumption Cathedral

State Historical Musuem – Red Sqaure

Tsar Bell and The Ivan the Great Bell- Tower, the Assumption Belfry and the Filaret’s extension

Manezhnaya ploshchad – near Kremlin

Metro Train

The Cathedral Square – Kremlin

Metro Train

Exit – Metro Station

Metro station

Farmers holding Kalashnikov guns monument – Metro Station

Metro train

P.S: Visa application can also be a headache for tourist as it is comparatively expensive and complicated to get a tourist visa to Russia. It will be much easier to engage an agent to assist you in your visa application.